By Lucy Supperstone
Director of Innovation and Standards
The last few years have seen a shift in how we look at community cohesion. This, combined with increased exposure to global issues through social media, has had a powerful effect on young people. They’re more aware than previous generations of bigger world affairs, but conversely less attached to those around them in their immediate communities.
Increased access to information and thoughts from a global online network has helped them to create detailed and nuanced views on situations that may be miles from their door but still impact them greatly.
As a result, many are more motivated by the prospect of change than ever before. For example, the United Nations Development Programme recently found that: “70 percent of under 18s are most likely to believe climate change is a global emergency.”
Other studies show that ‘eco-anxiety’ is increasing, particularly amongst the young. A global study of 10,000 youths from 10 countries in 2021 found that over 50 percent of young people felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty about climate change while 45 percent said their feelings negatively affected their daily lives.
But could taking part in social action turn the tide on these feelings? And what do we mean by social action?
Simply put, social action is where young individuals (or anyone) aim to bring about social change by addressing the issues they feel passionate about. This can be done through campaigning, project volunteering or fundraising – the main point is that is has impact.
By supporting young people to think about how they can impact their local community and the world they interact with every day, we – as educators – have the potential to help them feel empowered to make a real difference to their futures. This applies to their own personal development, their feeling of connection to those around them and in supporting their community to be a thriving environment to live in.
(If you’re curious to read more, this report from YMCA George Williams College gives a good introduction to Youth Social Action.)
So, how could you and your learners take those first steps to build stronger and more vibrant local communities?
Every day we see examples from learners on our programmes pushing their comfort zones to inspire and lead those around them. We really welcome this and want to encourage them to be bold with their ideas and plans for the future.
I spoke recently to one learner who was leading members of their local community in a project to clean up a local beach. The level of local interest shown and the commitment to working together for the greater good was amazing – and it all started with one young person.
Another learner told us about #IWill – a movement that brings together over 1,000 organisations and 700 young ambassadors from across the UK to support young people to make a difference through positive change. From their interactions with young people and the organisations they work with, the movement has recorded that the young people involved feel like they are developing their character and confidence, which is exactly what we love to see. And we know that engaging in social action can result in higher levels of wellbeing, self-concept and self-efficacy.
The triple benefit of social action
The benefits of taking part in social action are fairly clear for young people and the communities they work in, but there are also potential positive impacts for educators and schools acting as the facilitators.
According to research from the RSA (the Royal Society for the encouragement of arts, manufactures and commerce), engaging learners in social action helps to increase their levels of participation in education over time and creates stronger connections with their curriculum learning.
The RSA calls this the ‘triple benefit effect’, bringing potential gains for everyone involved in helping to support young people in making the world they want to see. We think of it as triple win for everyone involved!
From communities to the workplace
The essential leadership skills built by young people through social action projects are also perfect building blocks for their careers. Learning how to work as part of a team or building the confidence to speak in public and advocate for their project are desirable skills for any future employer.
Research from the Institute for the Future into tomorrow’s workplaces suggests that as many as 85% of jobs in 2030 don’t even exist yet, placing an even greater emphasis on young people’s ability to create adaptable and transferrable essential skills.
Being able to apply critical thinking and solve problems in any situation, or to be highly organised and effective with limited resources, for example, will always be welcomed skills that allow young people to make a difference in their future journeys.
As one of our partners for our Environment Leadership programme, Jon Turner, Head of Education for WWF UK, said recently: “If we can support young people to develop the skills needed to make a difference, they have the potential to create vital and sustainable change in the world.”
Getting started with social action
If a single person were to make a change that created a 0.1% improvement, it might not seem like much. But if 1,000 or 1 million people could be part of a movement making a similar change, then the impact is huge.
So what if, rather than solely making changes on an individual basis, today’s young people developed a long-lasting understanding and passion for helping and inspiring others to make their own changes through teamwork and advocacy?
With the right support and encouragement, today’s learners can become tomorrow’s leaders, championing the causes they believe in and bringing energy to the communities where their impact can be felt most.
As providers of education programmes, we can support schools and colleges to develop essential leadership skills in young people and provide the tools for young people to get out there and start their own social action journey.
Want to join us? Let’s get started.
Lucy Supperstone works on establishing partnerships with organisations that share our passion for developing leadership skills such as WWF and RSPB, who have collaborated with us to create the Environment Leadership programme.